The Ghost of My Lips
by GhostfaceTV
Summary: [F/F] [DLV] [AU] [CD] [OC] [REQ] In post-war US, Tori is a member of Core, the last of the government after a brutal civil war. She's contracted to escort the Ambassador of the Resistance, Jade, to the Core encampment for a scheduled peace talk. With shady factions at play and link to Tori's fiery past, how will the job turn out?


**SecDef = Secretary of Defense  
TJAG = The Judge Advocate General  
HSAS = Homeland Security Advisory System  
LAMC = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum**

Smoke pillared up from the stacks of the iron factory as Tori watched, sitting on a far hill outside of the encampment. She took apart her sidearm and lay the pieces across a dirty towel at her feet. The process of disassembling, cleaning and reassembling her weapon had become so second nature that it was her go-to action in times of stress or boredom. The particular feeling at that time was stress. Her unit hadn't been on a new mission in over two weeks, which meant that whatever was brewing was going to be tough, and it was coming soon.  
The sun sank into the backdrop of the hills and quickly disappeared, smudging pastel brilliance across the sky. A loud siren carried its way up the hill and Tori recognized the end of the working day. Everyone in camp would be packing up and either heading home or heading out to one of the camp's establishments, many of which were only partially legal, but of which few were ever punished. The country had enough problems following the fallout of the last civil war, so the high council didn't spend much time concerning themselves with card counting or dog fighting. These indiscretions were dealt with by the local militia, and more often than not it ended in bloodshed.  
With two hours to spare before lights out, Tori made her way into the bar with the sole purpose of getting a pumpkin-flavored beer. Some of the camp's workers were native to the area and used their knowledge of the land to grow hops and other ingredients to curate their own booze. It was a welcome change, since the first couple of years following the end of the war were rife with murder. A post-war country steeped in depression and hard times, not to mention completely dry of all liquid impedance, was a breeding ground for violence. Body counts soared for a while, until the reintroduction of homebrew assuaged the people's thirst for blood. Good thing, too, since it was usually the soldiers that ended up killing each other with all of their pent-up aggression.  
Inside the run-down building was the bar itself, complete with four rickety stools on the opposite side that weren't holding up to the test of time. A few tables and chairs scattered throughout the open floorplan made the place seem like it could have once been a small diner. Most of the tables were propped up with cardboard due to missing legs, or had chunks missing from their tops thanks to many a bar fight. Tori walked in and nodded to the bartender, an intimidatingly large man named Steele, and took a seat at the far left end. Steele reached under the counter for a bottle opener and grabbed a cold beer from the fridge, popping the top and sliding it down the counter in a fluid motion that bled experience.  
"Hey miha, long day?" asked Steele.  
"I guess" said Tori, taking a sip from her beer and swishing it around her mouth before swallowing. "Just more counter-interrogation training."  
"Ah yeah, I hear that's pretty taxing on the mind." Steele polished off some pint glasses as he spoke. "When do you head back out?"  
"I'm not sure," said Tori, "I think we're going back to the west sector to do patrols since the Ambassador is coming next week."  
"That's right, I wonder how that will go over. Been a while since she came around, yeah?"  
"Yeah." Two guys came into the bar and sat at a table in the far corner, nodding courteously as they dug in and began a conversation Tori couldn't hear. She took a long drink and savored the pumpkin taste she had been missing since the last harvest. "I'll probably end up getting stuck on protection detail again, which means I'll be babysitting whatever asshole kids she brings with her."  
Steele chuckled and picked up another glass. "I told you, you can always leave the army and start hookin'."  
"Thanks Steele," Tori chided with a look of supreme sarcasm, "glad to know you think I'm pretty enough to make a living off my looks." She took another drink. "Although, it's usually men that pay for sex, and that's really not my thing."  
Steele smiled so hard his eyes squinted and Tori smiled back as soon as he couldn't see her face. She was lucky to have such a good friend in big the Samoan bartender. Not many people kept close relationships, especially those in the service, but she didn't have any family left and most of her friends had been KIA. Steele found her passed out drunk in the alley behind the bar one night after her childhood friend was killed by a car bomb, and he nursed her back to health. Ever since then, he had been a sort of protector, like a big brother. She watched as he headed over to the table with the two other men and took their drink orders, chatting idly for a second before returning and grabbing two bottles of the same thing she had had. The pumpkin brew was one of the first batches to get done, but also one of the first batches to go.  
The flatscreen television mounted on the wall to the right of the bar showed images of the resistance faction in the neighboring city. Most of the news was related to kidnappings, bombings and other acts of war, even though the war was technically over. Tori was part of the winning side, the wealthy side. Her and her people fought for the government instead of against it, and when they ended up victorious she was rewarded with her own house in the soldier camp. It wasn't really a camp per se, but a small town that was dedicated to the fighting forces. All of the soldiers lived by each other and spent their time together, not only because it was a good tactic, but because they didn't necessarily get along well with other people.  
Steele returned to polishing glasses and turned his attention to the TV. Masked assailants threw Molotov cocktails through storefronts and set off bombs in cars on the street. Tori watched two of them grab a man and put a gun to his head, then feed him into a blacked out SUV that took off after a hearty slap to the back windshield. She exchanged glances with Steele as they both noticed the _live_ icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. A live abduction, on TV? Something must have been going on for the resistance to take someone in view of cameras, especially when it wasn't completely dark out yet. Tori knew that whatever was going on, she was going to be called in soon to discuss it, so she stood up, finished the last of her beer, then tossed a few bills on the counter and headed out with a grave smile that didn't reach her eyes.  
The next morning a wake up call shocked Tori out of a dreamless sleep at close four AM. She had the text message tone of her commanding officer set to a very loud, very annoying alarm, so she knew not to ignore it in even her sleepiest state. The noise forced her eyes open and when a quick look outside showed it was still dark, she blew out a breath in preemptive exhaustion. The message stated that all hands needed to be present for a mandatory meeting at four fifteen, which gave her ten minutes to get dressed and another ten to make her way to the meeting hall. She pulled on tight black jeans, black boots, an asphalt gray shirt and a black windbreaker, then headed out without bothering to check the mirror.  
For two years following the end of the war, people walked around scared. They checked behind them constantly, making sure to never walk anywhere alone. Stuck to well lit places at night. Never left the house without a weapon. But it had been four years since they finally called a truce, more to the fact that the Resistance had lost so many soldiers they didn't have enough of a force to fight back than anything, but a truce nonetheless, and people had started to get comfortable again. Her fellow soldiers lined the streets, meeting up with each other on corners to walk together in groups, discussing in hushed voices what the meeting was about. Tori had a feeling it would cover the abduction from the night before, which meant a scout team would be dispatched to go undercover in the city. She hoped she would get the chance to go.  
Everyone filed into the hall and sat together on the high school style bleachers, waiting for their commanders to make their entrance and address them. A low buzzing broke out with the smattering of a few dozen separate subdued conversations, and the white noise almost put Tori back to sleep. She snapped awake again when her neighbor, a scrawny Nepalese boy named Nabin that looked to be no older than twelve, sat next to her and bumped her shoulder with his. He smiled and chuckled a bit, scanning the deep purple circles around her eyes that only sleep deprivation can make so perfectly. Circles and all, he couldn't help noticing she still looked as perfect as ever.  
"What's up, Tor?" asked Nab. "You look tired."  
"I am" said Tori.  
"Everything okay?"  
"Yeah, just anxious to get moving again I guess." She fidgeted a little in her seat, trying to get comfortable on the hard wood.  
"Well hopefully they'll give us something to do today" said Nab. "I'd like to get off wall duty myself."  
The doors at the far back left of the room opened up and six people filed in; The General, the Secretary of Defense and two guards for each of them. The four guards stood a few feet behind, hands clasped at the wrist in front of them in true secret service fashion. Black suits with earpieces and sunglasses. Tori couldn't help but find it comical that they actually dressed and behaved in the exact way she remembered seeing in TV shows and movies before the war. She missed TV, they didn't show anything except for news anymore, since no one was in a position to make new TV or run a real network. General Tomlin made his way to the podium at the center of the room and SecDef Philips stood beside him, scanning the room with an indiscernible look on his face. The General cleared his throat and the humming died down, eventually stopping completely, and a thick silence blanketed the room.  
"At nineteen hundred and thirty hours last night, TJAG MacMillian was kidnapped by Resistance forces." Tori stiffened a little, and more whispers broke out around her. "The circumstances surrounding the kidnapping aren't known to us at this time, but we plan to change that in the coming days. That said, I'm putting together a small team to infiltrate the city and gather some intelligence we can use to identify his captors and secure his safe return." Hands shot up across the room, but the General waved them down. "I already have my team in mind, and I'll be contacting those individuals myself. The purpose of this meeting is to alert everyone that we are changing the HSAS level from yellow to orange. You will begin practicing orange protocol as soon as this meeting is dismissed."  
Tori and Nab both looked around and listened. The general consensus was that the Resistance was making a play at gaining leverage against the core, the core being what they called what was left of the original government and its army. General Tomlin moved back from the podium and SecDef Philips took his place, checking his phone quickly before addressing the soldiers.  
"We have no reason to believe at this time, that the Resistance will take a shot at us directly. Still, we're increasing patrols in the camp and on the wall. Twenty four hour surveillance of all entry points and radio communication. The Ambassador's visit is in three days, we can't afford to miss anything if it turns out to be a distraction for a coordinated attack."  
The SecDef and the General talked between themselves for a moment, looking between each other and their phones. Tori watched them closely, trying to pick up any hints she could of what was going to happen next. The guards stood as still as ever and watched as all of the soldiers leaned this way and that, listening to what other pockets of people were saying and comparing it to their own. Lots of excited faces were most likely hoping to be chosen for the mission, and as soon as the General deposited his phone back in his pocket he made his way to the bleachers to either make or break their happiness for the coming week. He pointed to one, two and three people, who all stood up in turn and made their way to his side. As they crossed to Tori's side of the room he pointed to her and made a beckoning motion, so she put a hand on Nab's knee and squeezed when she stood up.  
The new group followed General Tomlin out of the hall and into a small area outside of the side door. He looked over his four person team, two men and two women, and rubbed his hands together. Tori recognized two of the three others as people she had done wall duty with before, and the third person looked sturdy as well. They all exchanged looks while waiting for the General to speak, and when he finally did, his voice was hushed and his exhaustion seeped through.  
"You four will be leaving as soon as we get you outfitted with what you need. Basic recon mission, so no heavy gear or anything. You'll be going in as the Ambassador's detail. She'll have her own guards, of course, but you're there to guarantee safe passage to the camp. For two days you'll meet up with their detail and go over travel plans. Create evac routes for backup and discuss rendezvous points." Tomlin cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. "I think that should do it. On the third day you'll head back here and continue the detail in the camp, then secure their safe return to the city."  
"Sir, what are the accommodations while we're there?" asked Tori.  
General Tomlin blew out a long breath. "You'll be staying in Seraphine's guest house."  
The whole group tightened up and the girl next to Tori wrung her hands out. Seraphine was the so-called leader of the Resistance, a beautiful but terrifying woman that was known for doing anything necessary to get the job done. Rumors stated that she had a group of little kids, between the ages of seven and ten, detonate car bombs while they were pretending to play soccer in the streets. No one knew for sure if those rumors were really true, but from what they _did_ know about her, no one was in a hurry to doubt them. If they were going to be staying in her house, they would have to be on guard the entire time.  
As their conversation finished up the rest of the soldiers filed out of the hall and headed back home to get ready for the day. The group, which consisted of Tori, Julio, Mallory and Derek, did the same, packing their small green dufflebags with two nights worth of gear. Changes of clothes, toothbrush, sidearm, extra clip, first aid kit, flashlight, and cell phone. Tori checked her list to make sure she had everything and then locked up the house, careful to deadbolt both doors. When she was a kid the thought of heading off to danger zone after deadbolting her house never crossed her mind. Her new reality changed the way she thought, and security became second nature.  
Julio and Derek were already at the meeting point by the wall when Tori showed up. They stood and watched the sunrise over the far off hills, not even noticing Mallory's stealthy entrance to their line. She smiled weakly and the rest of them returned it. A few minutes later SecDef Philips arrived in a black Explorer with his same two guards. He got out with some papers in his hand and promptly gave them to Julio, and Julio accepted them with a nod. After a quick glance and a firm "yes sir" SecDef Philips left without saying anything, and the group loaded their bags into the truck. Tori rode shotgun while Derek drove, and the others took the back seat.

* * *

During the ride, Tori went through a little bit of history in her head. The war started when she was thirteen, lasted for three years, and it had been four years since the truce, leaving her at twenty years old. She didn't remember much from when the war first started, only that lower class people decided they had had enough and started attacking rich folk. Houses were broken into, banks robbed, cars set on fire. It took the government two weeks to get involved, and by then half of California had joined the uprising. Previous attempts to gather people together only had minimal success, but something happened that year to where the people on the low end of the food chain were ready to do something about it. She had heard there were talks in the beginning but they failed miserably, ending up with the Governor lying dead in his office and three people in handcuffs on the outside steps. That was when the war really took off. Pockets of Resistance fighters sprouted up all over the west coast, attacking government buildings and looting stores. Tori's family decided they were going to head east and stay with family in Vermont, but their plan didn't go as hoped, and Tori ended up by herself.  
David Vega, Tori's father, came up with an exit strategy. He packed the car with suitcases and food, hoping to hit the road and get away from the chaos. Tori and Trina packed only what they could fit in their smallest bags and purses, leaving behind everything they had collected as children and all of the memories of their childhood home. Their father told them they would attempt to make it back at some point, if it ever got safe again, but that day would never come. Just outside of Phoenix, Arizona they had stopped at a highway rest stop to use the facilities and get gas. Holly, the girls' mother, was pumping the gas while David checked the GPS, and the girls went inside to see what they had for sugary snacks. A group of three Resistance fighters showed up in an oversized SUV, parked it next to a gas pump, then got out and headed toward the building. She didn't realize something was wrong at the time, but looking back at the memory she remembered seeing all three of them get out of the car and leave it at the pump. The man who was driving was a large Native American man with a scar across his lower left jaw, that was something she couldn't forget if she wanted to. He was big and intimidating, and had a look of determination that gave her goosebumps to that day. The trio got up on the sidewalk and to the far side of the store and out of view of the windows, then set off a bomb that took out half of the parking lot. The windows of the store exploded inward and both of the girls were covered in small cuts. It took a minute for the dust to settle, but when it did, Tori realized a large shard of glass had lodged itself in the side of Trina's neck. She gurgled and choked on her own blood, reaching for her sister in a desperate attempt to ask for help. No one was around that Tori could see, and panic set in. She tried to put pressure on her sister's neck but the blood poured out so thick and so fast that there was no stopping it. Tears streamed down Tori's face as Trina's eyes rolled back and her head lolled to the side, and with one final exhale, she was gone. The parking lot was one massive fireball and anyone within thirty feet was instantly incinerated, which meant both of her parents were gone, too. The ceiling had collapsed in the front of the store and smoke started rolling in, thick and black and restricting. She looked around and found the cashier hobbling toward her, holding a spot on his neck where blood was pouring out generously. He grabbed Tori's shoulder and led her to the back room to get away from the smoke and the glass, and shortly after she fell asleep from shock.  
It took a few days to come back to the present after what happened. The cashier had taken Tori to a hospital and they checked her out, treated for minor cuts and gave her a prescription for Xanax to help with the anxiety. One she was released she realized that there was nowhere to go. She didn't know anyone in the area and had no car to get back home, if there was anything left of it. The Resistance had been sweeping east faster than anyone thought, and Tori figured the only thing she could do would be to find her way back and see if she could meet up with any of her friends, provided they were still in the area. She worried that maybe they had all had the same idea as her family and taken off, but there was no other option. The news showed that what had happened at the rest stop had happened a few more times since, the idea being to disrupt daily life by restricting travel and causing damage until the government took notice and decided to do something about it. The images were too realistic for her to handle so with prescription bottle in hand, she started west, looking for someone on the road that might be going her way.  
Four days later Tori was back in Hollywood. Her old neighborhood looked untouched, aside from a few broken windows in houses leading up to hers. She used the hide-a-key and went inside, noticing immediately that while her house looked fine on the outside, they weren't spared in the house to house search. The kitchen draws were open and the couch was overturned, the cushions thrown haphazardly around the room. From the look of the downstairs it was only natural to assume that all of their bedrooms had been rummaged through as well, and she wasn't looking forward to going into her parent's or sister's rooms. Quick peeks in each confirmed her suspicions as drawers and closets stood open, jewelry boxes torn apart with their contents missing. The open space of the large house started to close in on her in its emptiness so Tori ran back outside in a panic, her throat closing up and her chest burning with anger and sadness. A little ways down the road she spotted an army hummer moving her direction, so she walked out to the road and flagged them down.  
"Do you need help miss?" asked one of the soldiers.  
"My family is dead and I don't know what to do" said Tori.  
The soldier nodded solemnly and looked sympathetic. "We're rounding up anyone that's been hurt or displaced and taking them to the LAMC. You're welcome to hop in."  
"Thanks" said Tori, stepping up and getting into the back seat. "How many people are there now?"  
"We estimate about four thousand at the moment, but more are coming every day."  
Tori soaked up the information and closed her eyes. "I'm wondering if maybe my friends are there. Is there any way to search for people or is it pretty much just open?"  
"It's kind of chaotic right now," said the soldier, "but the Red Cross is trying to set up a list of names for that purpose. Not sure how far they are on it, though."  
With that Tori sat back and listened to the hum of the tires on the road and the occasional squawk of the radio. She was exhausted from her days of hitchhiking and trying to get the images of her dying sister out of her mind. The fire in parking lot. All of the smoke. The cashier with his neck and arm covered in blood. He was kind enough to take care of her, make sure she was safe and get her to a hospital, and she didn't even know his name. She'd probably never see him again either, if he was even still alive. The thought kind of made her sad. The country was going to hell, fast, and the one man that did her a kindness would remain nameless. The hummer pulled up to the coliseum and at the same time Derek shook her arm in the present moment, alerting her that they had arrived in the city.

* * *

Tall buildings towered over their SUV as the group rolled through the city. Onlookers took note of the Core logo on the side of the vehicle and quickly looked away, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. The Resistance was thick in the city but they weren't the only people. Regular citizens tried to continue on with life the best they could, and none of them wanted to be mistaken for an enemy of the government. Tori watched out her window as they passed stores and theaters, people moving in and out of coffee shops and restaurants. For them, the war was over. They moved on and got new jobs and either found new houses or stayed put and tried to rebuild their communities. They were blissfully unaware of the activities behind the scenes. Treaties are just paper, but actions speak louder than words.  
The road opened up after a series of tight turns through the city center and Seraphine's compound became visible, set back against a treeline. It was removed enough from the city that they would be able to see anyone coming from a mile away, but close enough that they weren't far from provisions and entertainment. As they drew closer Tori noticed multiple armed guards, complete with earpieces and tactical dress. Julio tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the roof of the compound where Tori noticed a sniper's nest. Seraphine really didn't mess around. The house itself was very large and Victorian in style, with the addition of huge pillars holding up an overhang on top of the entrance. Stairs led up to the door with two guards at the bottom and two more on either side of the entryway. Derek drove up and parked their vehicle next to the fountain. They filed out one by one then headed to the back to retrieve their gear. One of the guards held a finger to his earpiece and responded back through a microphone in his watch, after which he waved them forward and started walking to the entrance.  
Upon stepping inside they made way into a large greeting area. A mudroom was set off to the side with seats you could use to remove boots and large bar hung on the far wall for coats. The entryway was dark hardwood flooring with a marble staircase to the left, and a doorway to the right. The group made their way inside and took in their surroundings, tightening up significantly at the sight of Seraphine appearing at the top of the stairs. She wore a long emerald green dress and had her hair tied up loosely, and Tori couldn't help but stare. The woman was just as beautiful as she had seen on television, but her presence heightened it so much more. Seraphine descended the staircase with a smile, taking in her new guests and chuckling slightly at the look on the boys' faces. Julio was standing still with his hands in front of his package and Derek was looking off to the right side door, not able to make eye contact. Mallory rolled her eyes and Tori stared straight ahead, suddenly aware of her need to hear what the woman's voice sounded like.  
"Welcome to home" said Seraphine. "I know that we're, as you say, on opposite sides of the fence, but I give you my word that you will all be safe on these premises." She walked up to them and stood front and center, looking each of them over one by one. When she got to Tori she smiled, reaching out to touch her hair. Tori jumped a little and Seraphine looked sympathetic, bringing her arm back to her side. "You have nothing to fear from me or my security detail, as long as you extend the same cordiality as us. We all want to make this trip go as smooth as possible."  
"Glad to hear it" said Julio. He cleared his throat and looked around the room once more. "Are there any specific parts of this place that we aren't welcome in? I'd like to get that cleared up first so we don't step on anyone's toes."  
Seraphine smiled brightly and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad we see eye to eye. My house is yours for the time you are here, I simply ask that you avoid the basement. That's all."  
"Done" said Julio. "As for our quarters?"  
"There are separate rooms for all four of you, up the stairs and to the right."  
"Thank you for your hospitality," said Mallory, picking her bag up off the floor and shouldering it. "we'll do our best to blend in."  
"The kitchen is open twenty four hours" said Seraphine, making her way to the door on the right. "Feel free to eat or drink what you wish."  
"Killer" said Derek, holding a hand over his stomach.  
Tori led the group up the stairs as Seraphine melted into the doorway and disappeared. Julio took the first room on the left side and Derek took the one next to it, with Mallory taking the first one on the right and Tori the one next to her. They each went into their rooms and took a few minutes to get settled. Tori wasn't the kind of person to unpack, especially on a mission like that, so she just lay her bag on the dresser and set her toothbrush next to it. The room was spacious and decorated in a minimal fashion. Lots of neutral tones and natural light from large bay windows. She sat on the edge of the bed and noticed it was pretty comfortable, even though she wasn't going to be sleeping much. There was no plan for what they would be doing during the day so Tori left her room and knocked on Julio's door.  
"What are we doing now?" asked Tori.  
"Not sure" said Julio. He looked each way down the hallway and back to Tori. "We don't have specific instructions."  
"We can head out front and survey the area, maybe ask some of the guards about extraction procedures just in case."  
"Good idea. You grab Mallory and I'll grab Derek, meet downstairs in five."  
Outside the sun was rising to high noon. Guards walked in carefully calculated lines, making sure they surveyed every bit of land surrounding the compound. The group watched them for a few minutes, learning who was supposed to be where and the routes they took. One of the guards noticed them and nodded casually, to which they all nodded back in unison. There was a professional courtesy between them, even though they all knew that would go to hell in an instant if something were to happen. As they memorized the layout of the area a silver Mercedes flew into the driveway at a much higher rate of speed than necessary, and an annoyed-looking young woman got out and slammed the door. She walked with her head pointed downward, until she caught sight of the group's feet. Her head snapped up and she made eye contact with Tori, stuttering in step for the space of a second. Tori blushed instantly without being able to control it, and the girl quickly looked away and kept walking. She was the best looking woman around her age that Tori had seen in a long time, even if her demeanor was less than friendly. Her next job would be to find out who she was.  
One of the guards whistled and waved them over. They walked, stepping in unison, and the guard nodded with appreciation.  
"Lunch is ready if you guys are hungry."  
"Thanks" said Derek. "I'm starving."  
"What's new?" asked Mallory, smirking as they headed back to the house.  
The dining area was about the size of a normal house. It held a very long, very heavy looking solid oak table, with twelve chairs on each side. A chandelier hung over the center and cast multicolored light over the room, giving it a mystical feel. Seraphine was painted as this awful, ruthless woman, but seeing her in person and being in her home was more comforting than anything. Even the guards were nice. They sat down at the table and one by one different members of the kitchen staff zoomed in and out of the room, bringing platters and drinks. Finger foods, desserts, soup and salad. Anything they were hungry for came out in abundance. Derek's eyes lit up and he dug in immediately, grabbing a drumstick and garlic breadsticks. Tori opted for grilled cheese and an assortment of fruit. The others grabbed odds and ends to fill up their plates, and Tori was about half way through her sandwich when the girl with the Mercedes made her way through the dining room. She glanced at Tori as she passed and headed through into the kitchen without stopping. As she looked back to her plate Tori noticed that Mallory was looking at her with a sly smile.  
"Interested?" asked Mallory in a whispered tone.  
"Uh, no," Tori lied, not making eye contact. "Just trying to determine her role in the place."  
"Okay."  
Tori figured she must have been more obvious than she thought when looking at the girl. It had been a few years since she realized that she was more interested in girls than boys, but she had never had the chance to be romantic with someone due to the war and the circumstances with her family. That said, she spent a lot of time in her head, wondering what it would be like to be close to someone like that. Her friend Nab had tried to ask her out, but she never really explained to him that she wasn't interested in boys. Not only that, she wasn't really sure of her feelings as a whole. Without the proper mourning for her family and being thrust into fighting not long after, Tori wasn't even sure she knew how to be close to someone. The thought kind of ruined her appetite so she put her sandwich down and cleansed her palette with water, then excused herself from the table.  
The coming visitation by the Ambassador had people on both sides of the line worked up. Resistance fighters and Core soldiers alike were both anxious, wondering if the other side had something planned and the trip would turn into a fight. Even after the treaty was signed the two sides still had bad blood. Years of war doesn't get erased easily, especially in a handful of years. Lies and deceit fed in from both sides until neither could trust the other, which led to the Core encampment outside of town. Government officials, guards and soldiers stayed in the camp, while citizens and some plain clothes Resistance fighters stayed in the city. The more hardcore of the Resistance stayed to the outskirts of town, much like Seraphine and her detail, though none of the others lived as lavishly as she. Tori found her way outside again and went for a walk, stopping on the side of the house when she noticed the girl from before bent down by a creek. She made her way toward the girl slowly, putting her hands up when she got close enough for the girl to notice her presence.  
"Hey" said Tori.  
"What?"  
"Nothing. Just making conversation."  
The girl stood up and turned around to face her. "Why?"  
"I don't know." Tori met the girl's eyes and immediately looked away, her cheeks feeling hot. "We don't have much to do here so I figured I would look around a bit, and I ran into you."  
"How lucky for you."  
"What's your name?"  
The girl rolled her eyes. "Why do you care?"  
"Are you always this difficult?"  
A quick smile flashed across her lips. "Yes."  
"How does that work out for you?" Tori bent down and grabbed a handful of pebbles and began tossing them into the water.  
"My mom loves it."  
"Oh yeah? If you get any of your personality from her I'm sure she's a charmer." One of the rocks skipped across the water a few times and landed on the other side of the stream.  
"Well you met her, aren't I just a perfect representation of the Eriksson name?"  
Tori's mouth opened in a perfect comical 'O' shape. "Seraphine is your mother?"  
"Amazing isn't it?" The girl ran her fingers through her hair and shifted her weight to her other foot.  
"I guess it makes sense,' said Tori, "you're both very-" She stopped talking and dropped the rest of the pebbles, dusting her hands together to get the dirt off.  
"Very what? Rude? Bitchy?"  
"No, that's not what I-"  
"Oh really, then what was it?" The girl stepped towards Tori and stared her down with her icy blue eyes.  
"I was going to say beautiful." Tori turned around and walked back towards the house with her hands in her back pockets.  
"My name is Jade." She cleared her throat and spoke a little more firmly. "Come back, we can talk if you want."  
Two hours of conversation on the bank of creek afforded Tori more information that she thought she would get. Jade was the daughter of the Resistance leader, and also happened to be the Ambassador that Tori's group was supposed to be leading into town in two days. The girl didn't look to be any older than her, and she was surprised to find out that she was actually a year younger. They both skipped rocks across the water, looking out toward the same hills that Tori did during her night outside the ironworks. A few times they went fifteen or twenty minutes without saying anything, but the silence was the furthest thing from uncomfortable she could imagine. It felt natural sitting next to Jade, almost like they had been friends from childhood. Eventually Mallory made her way out to the side of the house and found them, taking a seat in the grass next to Tori.  
"Mallory this is Jade, she's the Ambassador" said Tori.  
"I know" said Mallory. Her eyes wrinkled with her big smile.  
"How come I didn't know?"  
Jade chuckled and Mallory tapped her on the knee with her hand. "Well I didn't _know _know, you know. I just guessed. Angsty teenager maybe, but daughter of the Resistance leader makes her the perfect candidate."  
"Why's that?" asked Tori, her brow furrowing as she thought it out.  
"The way I look at it, both sides are still kind of sour with each other, but we do our business behind the scenes, right? We don't want to rile up the civilians. We make them think that we're having peace talks or whatever, and that's where she comes in. She's a person of interest to us because she's close to the leader, but that also shows the people that we 'trust' each other, by having Seraphine agree to send her daughter to the Core camp."  
"I guess that makes sense" said Tori, throwing her last rock into the stream with a big _plunk_. "How do you feel about it Jade?"  
"I hate it, I'd rather get a job in the city and just be a normal person but there's no way my mother would have that."  
They all nodded in unison and Mallory stood up, her hand outstretched to Tori. "I came out here to bring you in, Julio wants a meeting."  
"Okay. You gonna be around, Jade? Maybe we can talk some more later."  
"Sure" said Jade, standing up with them and dusting her backside off. Tori couldn't help but watch the way her butt jiggled when she slapped it and almost bit a hole through her bottom lip.  
"Alright, I'll come find you when we're done."  
Mallory and Tori made their way to the front of the compound while Jade hooked a right and went to a door on the back right side. Upstairs, Derek and Julio were already together in Julio's bedroom, but as soon as the girls made it to the top of the stairs the guys came out, pointing back down to the door. Tori was confused but she turned around headed back down anyway, and then four of them filed out the door. Julio made eye contact with one of the guards and made the 'watch this' motion with his fingers pointed at his eyes, then pointed down the road. The guard nodded his acknowledgment and the group set off down the road. Once they were about a quarter mile away, our of hearing distance but still visible, Julio set them up to make it look like they would be doing combat training exercises. He sparred with Tori while Derek sparred with Mallory, but a minute into their exercise Julio slowed down a bit and pulled out his phone.  
"I got a coded message a little bit ago" said Julio, showing his phone to the group. "It took me a few to decode it, but it's intel about a group Resistance fighters coming into the city to meet up with Seraphine once we leave for the city with the Ambassador."  
"What does that mean?" asked Tori. "Don't they report to her anyway?"  
"I tried to figure it out myself, and after about twenty minutes I got another message. All it said was 'priority one targets.'"  
Everyone in the group sucked in a breath and held it. They kept up their charade of training, albeit halfheartedly, and all of their minds turned a mile a minute trying to figure out who these high profile targets were and why they were coming at this specific time. Derek stopped sparring without notice and Mallory caught him in the jaw. He staggered backwards and lifted a hand to his mouth, feeling his lip starting to fatten instantly. He chucked and spit blood out, then wiped the rest off with the side of his glove. "Nice shot."  
"It was an accident" said Mallory, even though she smirked while she said it.  
Julio put his phone back in his pocket and held his hands up for boxing targets for Tori. "Well, whoever these people are, they're extremely dangerous and I'm guessing we got this message because Core wants us to try and get any bits of information we can. So be on the lookout and keep your ears open."

**A/N: This was going to be a oneshot for a friend, but I got kind of into it and I didn't want to make her wait too long so I'm splitting it in half. The second half should be out within the next week or so. Hope you enjoyed the first part. :)**


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